Steel Mill Lead Times 1 to 2 Weeks Longer Than 1 Year Ago

Steel Mill lead times are important keys to watch. As lead times extend buyers have to place more orders and spend more time balancing their inventories in order to satisfy their customers. Longer lead times also support domestic steel mill pricing and create opportunities for steel mills to raise steel prices (which is exactly what has been happening over the past few months in the United States and Canadian markets).

Steel Market Update produces articles about lead times in two distinct ways. First, by the use of our flat rolled steel market trends analysis (survey) and second, through the examination of lead time sheets published by the mills as well as comments from buyers regarding lead times being verbally quoted. Today we are going to use the average of the responses from last week’s questionnaire as the basis of our article. Later this week we will provide an article on the published lead times for our readers to compare.